Tuesday News: Clinton Romps, “Donald Trump bombs on the ultimate reality TV show”; “one candidate is serious and the other is a vacuous bully”

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Tuesday, September 27. Also, check out video of the full wipeout…er, Trump meltdown..er, “debate” last night. Seriously, how can ANYONE vote for freakazoid Trump? As for Hillary Clinton, she nailed it – knowledgeable, prepared, articulate, poised, cool, calm…presidential.

Post-debate poll: Hillary Clinton takes round one (“Hillary Clinton was deemed the winner of Monday night’s debate by 62% of voters who tuned in to watch, while just 27% said they thought Donald Trump had the better night, according to a CNN/ORC Poll of voters who watched the debate…Voters who watched said Clinton expressed her views more clearly than Trump and had a better understanding of the issues by a margin of more than 2-to-1.”)

Virginian-Pilot editorial: Delegate should step down (“Here’s what we know: Del. Rick Morris has been charged with felonious cruelty and causing injuries to children, as well as child endangerment. The Suffolk Republican also faces multiple misdemeanor counts of domestic assault.”)

“Secretary Clinton offered a clear vision for America that included strong gun violence prevention policies like universal background checks and reinstating a ban on assault weapons. Clinton proudly proclaimed, ‘We have to tackle the plague of gun violence’ during a spirited discussion on gun violence and race in America. Trump offered an incoherent mixed bag of policies. First, he highlighted his endorsement by the NRA while simultaneously professing support for ‘No Fly, No Buy.’ Then he said we need to keep guns away from dangerous people but refused to support policies that would actually do so, except ‘stop and frisk’ — a policy that has been found to be unconstitutional. In short, Trump failed to articulate anything resembling a plan to reduce gun violence. With the election approaching, American voters deserve to know exactly what Donald Trump will do to reduce gun violence in this country.”

Today, Hillary Clinton released the following statement on the endorsement of Emerge USA PAC, the largest bipartisan Muslim American PAC:

“This month, thousands of Muslims registered to vote across the country during Eid celebrations and are continuing to do so today to mark National Voter Registration Day. Every single one of those registrations carries the voice of the Muslim-American community—and there’s no stronger message against Trump’s hateful and divisive rhetoric than Americans coming together with pride and dignity. That’s exactly that type of work that Emerge USA does: empower the next generation of Muslims to lead in their communities.

“The Muslim community knows that the stakes in this election could not be higher. From proposing to ban all Muslims from entering the United States, to attacking a Muslim Gold Star family whose son sacrificed his life for our country, to suggesting we monitor Muslim communities and places of worship, Trump has spent his entire campaign pitting Americans against each other and denigrating the Muslim-American community. It’s shameful. It’s disrespectful. It’s simply un-American. And it makes us less safe. Donald Trump’s constant demonization of Muslims plays straight into ISIS’ hands.

“While Trump continues to paint a dark and misleading picture of the Muslim-American community, groups like Emerge USA remind us of the incredible contributions the community has made to our country. Muslim-Americans are entrepreneurs and inventors, they are students and teachers, soldiers and police officers—in short, they are the best of America. I’m so grateful for the endorsement and the support of Muslim Americans across the country, and I will continue fighting to advance equality and keep our country safe.”

Flag pins don’t make one patriotic, yard signs don’t vote, and the first African-American president didn’t fuel the birther/racist memes and lies.

President Obama never should have been demeaned, denigrated, “otherized” by the Orly Taits (sp?), Breitbarts, and Trumps with white supremacy inclinations. Trump’s just po’d because of Obama’s 2011 Correspondents’ Dinner response. I’m still waiting for that apology.

Hugh Hewitt says that the birther and tax return issues are off the table in the next debates? NO

Clinton is blamed for insults by Trump team and he blames his own performance on a mic. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. The temperament, constant interruptions, scattered thoughts, sucking air, etc. clearly show how he would act on the world stage. Frightening!

I know it was probably a prepared line, but I liked Cinton’s statement that she makes no apologies for having prepared for the debate, just as she has prepared to be President.

It was not lost on me that rather than discuss the question on the no first strike policy, Trump rambled and ran out the clock. I wanted to hear Clinton on that, but by the time she got another chance to speak, Trump had changed the subject a number of times.

It’s amazing there’s any audience for Trump’s brand of dark, conspiratorial, dystopian, pessimistic, talk-down-America nihilism. In that way, Trump is the polar opposite of sunny, optimistic (at least most of the time) Ronald Reagan. Not sure how the same people who loved Reagan can also support Reagan’s polar opposite – and not just on temperament, but also on policy.

Following last night’s debate, Hillary Clinton, Tim Kaine and high profile surrogates are back on the campaign trail today, marking National Voter Registration Day by barnstorming battleground states to raise awareness of voter registration deadlines and to discuss the high stakes of the November election. With important voter registration deadlines coming up soon, Hillary for America is capitalizing on today’s national day of action by organizing nearly 1,400 local voter registration events in communities across the country.

Every election, millions of Americans don’t get to cast their ballot because they missed their state’s registration deadline or didn’t know how to register. Hillary for America will build off the excitement from the debate to talk about importance of registering to vote ahead of registration deadlines by holding local voter registration events across the country.

“Last night, families across the country tuned into the first presidential debate and witnessed just how high the stakes are in this election. We’ve always said that this race would be won in the states, and with just six weeks to go, our ground game will be registering voters in communities across the country.” said Marlon Marshall, Hillary for America Director of State Campaigns and Political Engagement.

Started by young organizers, National Voter Registration Day is a day of action celebrated by thousands of organizations, businesses, local communities and celebrities to make sure that no one is left out on election day. Every election, millions of Americans don’t get to cast their ballot because they missed their state’s registration deadline or didn’t know how to register. Today, Hillary for America will join thousands of organizations, businesses, local communities and celebrities in working to raise awareness about voter registration deadlines.

Hillary for America will mark National Voter Registration day by continuing its ‘3 Million Stronger’ push to register or commit to vote 3 million voters. At voter registration events across the country and through digital activity – and campaign will be reminding people to make sure they’re ready to make their voice heard this election by visiting iwillvote.com to check their voter registration status or get registered to vote.

Hillary Clinton will also take that message on the road, campaigning in four battleground states in the four days coming out of the debate: Raleigh, North Carolina on Tuesday, Durham, New Hampshire on Wednesday, Des Moines, Iowa on Thursday and southern Florida on Friday. Today, Senator Tim Kaine will campaign in Florida and Vice President Joe Biden will campaign in Philadelphia. President Bill Clinton will travel to Ohio and starts his bus tour in Florida on Friday. First Lady Michelle Obama will campaign in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh on Wednesday. Chelsea Clinton will visit in North Carolina on Wednesday and Wisconsin on Friday, and Anne Holton will campaign in Michigan on today and Wednesday, in Iowa on Thursday and Wisconsin and Friday.

Ladies and gentlemen, whatever civility once existed in our politics is tonight officially dead. Never in the history of televised debates have we witnessed such a show. And that’s what the Donald wanted. A show. He got it, but will he be seen as the hero or the villain?

If you are a fan of Hillary Clinton, I suspect you are thrilled with her poised and confident performance. Perhaps her crowning line was “I prepared for this debate and I’m prepared to be President”. If you are a fan of Donald Trump, his quarrelsome, no-holds-barred approach, often facts be damned, will likely in turn have thrilled you. The question is what does everybody else watching think and how many impressionable voters remain?

Taking a snapshot of the debate stage this evening, two candidates behind podiums, each representing one of the major political parties, it would seem to be the latest chapter in our quadrennial dance with democracy. But experiencing the event, in sound and motion, it was of course anything but.

From the very beginning, the body language tonight was striking. HIllary Clinton, the first woman ever to be on this stage was calm and substantive. Donald Trump interrupted often and slouched and sneered as he turned to address her. This is what Trump’s fans like about him, playing the alpha male at all costs. Clinton seemed completely unflustered, which is what her fans love about her. How this all plays to the majority of viewers and voters at home will be in the eyes of the beholder.

But I was surprised by how much this man who has made so much of the means of television spent not looking into the camera, but preoccupied with his adversary. Trump came across as amped, a pacing tiger ready to pounce on every answer. His Interruptions suggests little regard to the rules. He’s itching for a fight…Wants to swing wildly.

At one point early in the debate Clinton, after multiple factually questionable assertions by Trump said, “I have a feeling by the end of this debate I’ll be blamed for everything that ever happened,” Clinton said. Trump replied, “Why not?” That about summed it up.

Clinton clearly wanted to get under Trump’s skin. She attacked him for getting a hefty amount of money from his dad, challenging the narrative that he was a self-made man. And then attacking his business practices. The headline she was aiming for is Donald the Deadbeat. And then on the issue of Trump’s unreleased tax returns, when Clinton says that was because he may not have paid any taxes, Trump responded, “that makes me smart.” Expect to hear more about this.

Clinton was clearly the policy expert, nimbly jumping from topic to topic, policy to policy. But she was also much more able to paint a big picture than I have seen in times past. I thought she was particularly effective on the issue of race and especially the birther lie against President Obama. She had the facts on her side, but also it was an effective appeal to fire up her base.

In the end, more than all of the specifics, I was struck by how unprecedented was the overall tenor – matching that of the campaign. We once held certain truths to be “self-evident” – that “all men are created equal” and “they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” These were the lofty ideals that served as a rallying cry for the founders of these United States to choose liberty over tyranny. The man who wrote these words, Thomas Jefferson, and his compatriots were imperfect and in some cases deeply flawed men. Yet their idealism fixed a North Star in our democratic firmament that has guided our ship of state ever since, with some very noted moral detours. Now I fear that the tide of progress is rapidly receding with the fierce undertow of a looming tsunami.

Our Founders believed in reason and the power of intellect. Donald Trump made clear tonight by his wilful ignorance of important issues that he does not. Our founders feared the accumulation of power, they loathed vanity, and tried to build in protections against the demagogues who would appeal to mankind’s basest instincts. Donald Trump relishes in all of these impulses. For him they are instinctual and a prescription for success.

To call Trump a con man, as many have, is a disservice to the art of the con. By its definition a con requires deceit. But Trump has not tried to hide his lies or the sheer unrealistic audacity of his cartoonish policy positions. He has asked the American people to bet on him. The fact checkers will certainly weigh in. The pundits will have their say. But the voters have all the information they need. The judgement is in their – or more accurately our – hands.